Beside You
by jjjaskrox
Summary: Imogen Moreno found someone who can look at her as a regular girl; someone who isn't quick to judge her. But when things spiral out of her control, she may lose the only chance she has to be happy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: In case you were wondering and I hope you weren't, I don't own Degrassi and Marianas Trench's beautiful song, "Beside You". **

**~I ship Imofitz~**

* * *

><p>"Imogen, don't go!" His plead bounced off the walls of Little Miss Steaks as she headed in the direction of the exit.<p>

The disgusted look he received from her was enough to intimidate any human being. But not him; he was clearly not letting her go without a battle. Imogen Moreno clutched her purse tightly and rushed through the swinging doors of the restaurant.

Cold air immediately slapped against her face for all she could do was run. Before turning at the corner, his rough hand grasped her arm. She spun around to loosen out of his grip.

"Let me explain," he said slightly out of breath.

She shook her head hastily. "Explain what? How much of a coward you are? How after all this time, I never meant _anything_ to you?" Her voice sounded hysterical which startled him.

"That's not true and you know that," he said barely above a whisper. She knew he was attempting to keep a strong voice but his throat betrayed him.

She tapped a foot impatiently, waiting for him to redeem himself if possible. Just then a single raindrop landed on her face, forcing her to look up at the darkening sky. It was incredible how quickly everything changed since the day she met Mark Fitzgerald. How from one day to the other he had become very special to her but now when she looked at him, the only thing he resembled was darkness.

As he stood before her, Imogen studied the boy she thought she knew; the boy who stood up for her several months ago; the boy who wasn't bothered by her peculiar behavior or her unique style. He was the only person who truly accepted her for what she was… _different_.

Rain began to fall upon them but it went unnoticed.

"You choose to believe the words that come out of the mouth of that crazy guy rather than my own," he said. It wasn't a question but rather a statement.

"You have no right to call him that!" she squeaked. It still bothered her that people tended to call Eli Goldsworthy that cruel term.

Fitz's arms flew up. "You continue to defend him after everything! He doesn't love you, Imogen. But I- I…"

Her eyes widened at his bluntness. And as if her eyes were jealous of the rain, tears began to stream down her face. Fitz stepped closer to place his hands on her cheeks, angry with himself for continuously hurting her. She refused to look at him this time and swatted away his pity. Without another word, Imogen walked away from the only good thing left in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Taking time away from everything is what Fitz intended on doing after his argument with Imogen. He straight out told her that Eli didn't love her. He knew it was true and maybe even she did, but still, he had no right to speak for Eli. The hurt in her eyes said it all.

What bothered him the most though was the fact that he had been so close to admitting how he truly feels about Imogen Moreno. She was the girl he wanted after all the time he spent plotting with her. They plot against two other people which is what made them connect originally. But all along, she was the one that he planned on winning back if it was the last thing he'd do.

XXX

Silence fell upon the room when Imogen Moreno first entered The Dot several months earlier. It seemed as if everyone noticed her grand entry. Eyes red and swollen, pigtails out of place, glasses askew, and knees bleeding through her thigh-high stockings, Imogen walked in with her head held high. Fitz looked her over from behind the counter with concern upon his pale face. She looked disheveled and quite innocent. The students of Degrassi that occupied most of The Dot looked at her as well but with amusement. They found her tousled appearance hysterical. Fitz on the other hand was curious as to what must have happened to the girl whom was sporting a black dress that might have belonged to a life-sized voodoo doll. But soon none of that mattered because the girl walked right over to him and nodded briskly.

"I tripped and fell. There is nothing odd about that, Mark Fitzgerald," she said calmly.

"I uh- what?" he asked. The girl spoke to him as if she had read his mind.

"The look on your face suggests that you were curious about what happened to me and so I thought you needed an answer," she added easily.

"But how do you know my name?" he asked, still quite baffled.

"Oh, who doesn't know the name of the bully whom almost attacked Eli Goldsworthy with a knife?"

He shook his head and before he could answer, Imogen pointed a finger at him.

"You shouldn't have done that, you know."

"And why is that?" He leaned in closer to her.

"Well not only did you ruin your chances of being with Clare Edwards but you ruined your chances of getting back at Eli Goldsworthy for getting you arrested not only once but twice."

He narrowed his eyes at the overly perceptive girl. "You don't even know me," he accused.

"Oh but I do, Mark. I do."

With that she slipped away and exited The Dot without giving Fitz another chance to speak. _What just happened_, he thought to himself.

XXX

"So she just came up to you and acted as if she knows your life story?"

"Basically."

Fitz and Owen Milligan sat on the roof of a friend's car at the Ravine. They took whiffs out of the cigarettes in their hands and watched as some other guys played a round of poker on a crate nearby. It was a week after Fitz met Imogen. He only knew her name because after describing her to Owen, she was identifiable apparently by the way she wears her hair and the outrageous outfit she had on.

"She's a creep," Owen breathed out in between a drought of smoke.

"I want to talk to her and ask how she knows so much about me."

"Don't even bother, I'm telling you, that girl is weird. I sit next to her in science and I swear all she does is gawk at Goldsworthy and talk about how soft his emo hair must be," Owen said.

Fitz glanced at his friend and knew he was telling the truth. Even so, he wanted to see the girl with the pigtails again.


End file.
